Universal connecting block for regulators



5, 1952 T. H. THORN 2,606,051

UNIVERSAL CONNECTING BLOCK FOR REGULATORS Filed May 21, 1947 45 l 7 44 g /6 l a I INVENTOR. F! Thomas H Thom Afforneys Patented Aug. 5, 1952 UNIVERSAL CONNECTING BLOCK FOR REGULATORS Thomas H. Thorn, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Rockwell Manufacturing Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 21, 1947, Serial No. 749,470

4 Claims.

gas The valve stem and the valve actuating red are normally each guided by independent guides in their respective housings, which are usually separable. When the valve is manufactured, it is extremely difiicult and costly to machine the guides for the stem and actuating rods so that they will be coaxial when the twohalves are assembled. Even if the complete valve has the aforesaid guides accurately alignedwhen assembled, variations in the amount of expansion or contraction of the parts, resulting from the temperatures of the flowing gas or other factors, sometimes cause sufficient misalignment of the guides to result in a binding of the stem or actuating rod so that they are not free to move in their intended manner- While attempts to solve this problem have been previously made, as exemplified in the coupling disclosed in the Patent No. 1,881,775, granted to A. D. MacLean on October 11, 1932, neither this type of coupling nor any other of which I am aware, will allow the free movement of the eonnected valve stem and the valve actuating rod if the axes of their guides are angularly misaligned in any direction, or if their axes, instead ofbeing coaxial are slightly displaced so that they are actually parallel. My invention allows free movement of the valve stem and its connected valve actuating rod even if the axes of their guides are angularly disposed or if they are parallel and slightly spaced instead of being coaxial.

It is therefore a primary object of my invention to provide an improved valve structure wherein the valve stem and valve actuating rod are connected by" means preventing their binding in their guides due to misalignments thereof.

It is another object of my invention to provide a flexible connection between two independently guided shafts or stems wherein misalignment of the guides is compensated by self-adjustment of the flexible connections, while at the same time preventin end play between the two shafts or stems.

A further object of my invention is to provide a novel, self adjusting, flexible connection between a pair of non-rotating shafts mounted in end-toend relationship, which will allow a greater toler- 2 ance in the machining operations and in the alignment of the guides for the shafts.

It is another object of my invention to provide a novel, flexible, and self-adjusting connection between the ends of a pair ofsubstantially coaxial shafts, so that longitudinal motion of one will be transmitted to'the other without any binding of the shaftsin their guides.

Other objects will become apparent as the description proceeds in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical, longitudinal, sectional view of a portion of a center guide type, high pressure, balanced valve regulator;

t Figure 2 is a vertical section through the coupling between the valve stem and the valve stem actuating rod of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the top hear ing ring of Figure 2.

The valve shown 'in Figure 1 is a center guide, high pressure balanced valve regulator of the same general type shown in the Patent No. 2 ,l95,33'7 issued March 26, 1940, to A. D. Mac- Lean. In regulating valves of the type shown, a valve casing I I has an upper horizontal machined surface l2 to which is secured by cap screws IS, a two-piece diaphragm casing M. The casin I 4 is horizontally divided by a flexible diaphragm l5, the periphery of which is secured between mating flanges on the casing, which are clamped together by the bolts it. That portion of the diaphragm casing I4 beneath the diaphragm forms a control chamber I9 which'is connected by means of a pipe connection ll, to the low pressure outlet passageway l8 from the valve casing ll, so that the pressure Within the control chamber I9 will depend upon the pressure of the gas leaving the regulator, and the diaphragm l5 will be flexed up. wardly or downwardly to control the passage of the fluid through the regulator. The chamber above the diaphragm is vented to the atmosphere by a. conventional vent fitting 20.

As shown inFigure l, the valve casing I! is divided by a vertical partition 2| between the high'pressure inlet passage 22 and the interior chamber 23. The vertical partition 2| has a central opening to the periphery of which is secured, by cap screws 24, a valve bowl 25. The valve bowl is accessible by removing a cover 26 which is suitably secured to the open end of the valve casing l l by cap screws 21.

The outlet passageway I8 is indicated by the dotted circle in FigureLand is in free communication with the interior chamber 23, but the high pressure gas entering from the inlet passageway 22 through the opening in the partition 2| into the interior of the valve bowl 25, can only pass into the interior chamber 23 when the valve stem 28, which carries the two valves 29 and 39, is lowered so that the valves are separated from their respective seats 3| and 32, which are secured as by cap screws 33 to the peripheries of vertically aligned openings in the lower and upper walls of the valve bowl 25. The valve stem 28 is guided in its vertical movement by means of a hollow hub 34, which is integral with the valve bowl 25 and disposed centrally thereof by means of the bars 36. Spaced upper and lower bushings 31 and 38, respectively, are mounted within the hub 34 to guide the valve stem 28 in its movements. At its upper end the valve stem 28 is connected to the lower end of a valve operating rod 39 by a flexible coupling or connecting block designated generally at 40 and shown in detail in Figure 2. v v

The valve operating-rod 39 passes through and is secured to the diaphragm 15 in a conventional manner, being clamped between upper and lower plates 4| and 42 suitably secured to the rod by clamping nuts 63 and 64. The upper end of the rod 39 is threaded into acoupling 43, which is guided for vertical movement within a bushing 44 in the top of the upper section of the twopiece diaphragm casing I4. An eye bolt 45 is threaded into the upper end of the coupling 43, and is connected to a suitable adjustable weight and lever mechanism of the type shown in the aforesaid Patent 2,195,337, which counterbalances the upward thrust of the diaphragm by reason of the pressure in the control chamber IS, in the conventional manner.

If the pressure in the outlet passageway l8 rises to a value greater than the intended pressure, this pressure will be transmitted to the control chamber l9, causing the diaphragm l5 to move upwardly, raising the valve operating rod 39 and the valve stem 28 to move the valves 29 and 39 closer to their seats 3| and 32, to reduce the pressure in the outlet passageway |8 to the desired value.

Conversely, if the pressure in the outlet passageway |8 becomes too low, the diaphragm |5 will lower and move the valves 29 and 38 lower, 50 that the valve opening is greater to allow an increased flow of fluid to the outlet passageway |8 until the pressure therein reaches its normal value, causing the raising of the diaphragm and a moving of the valves to their normal position to maintain the desired rate of flow. In a sensitive regulator, the action outlined above occurs almost instantaneously, .producing a steady, uniform outlet pressure in the outlet passageway 8.

It will be noted that the valve operating rod 39 is guided in its movement by the bushing 44 and a lower guide formed by a bore 46 near the bottom of the lower section of the two-piece diaphragm casing H. The valve stem 28 is guided in its vertical movement by the two spaced bushings 31 and in the central hub 34. The connecting block 40 connects the rod 39 and the stem 28 together so that the axial movement of the rod 39 is transmitted to the stem 28 without any lost motion, to insure that the movement of the valves 29 and 30 will exactly follow the deflections of the diaphragm I5 and the fluctuations in pressure in the control chamber l9.

Referring now to Figure 1, it will be seen that the bushings 31 and 38 should be exactly aligned with the bushing 44 and the bore 46 in order to assure that there be no binding of the valve V the vertical partition 2| within the casing The bore 46 is located within the lower section of the diaphragm casing l4, which is secured to the top of the valve casing II, and the bushing 44 is in turn located in the upper section of the two-piece diaphragm casing, which section is removably secured to the top of the lower section of the same casing. The difliculty in accurately machining all of the mating parts of the septa rable regulating valve structure so that when assembled, the said four guides are in exact alignment, is at once readily apparent. All mating faces 01 the elements which are secured to gether, must be extremely accurately machined and locating pins or the like must be used to prevent relative movement of the parts during assembly, due to the normal clearance in the bore holes for the cap screws, etc. The exact angular position of the valve bowl 25 about a longitudinal horizontal axis therethrough, is very critical because the axis of the bushings 31 and 38 must be exactly vertical. In addition to the expense involved in the aforesaid machining operations, there is no positive assurance that exact alignment of the guides for the rod 39 and stem 28 will maintain their alignment when the valve is installed and operating under normal conditions, because different parts of the structure may be heated or cooled to varying degrees, resulting in uneven expansion or contraction and a consequent misalignment of the guides for the rod 39 or the stem 28.

As mentioned before, the type of connecting block shown in the aforesaid earlier Patent 1,881,775, illustrates one attempt at the solution of the problem of reducing machining costs or the maintaining of the alignment of the guides to prevent the binding of the operating rod and valve stem. As will be apparent, however, the connections shown in that patent permit relative rotation of the operating rod and valve stem in only one plane, and if the axial misalignment of the bushings for the rod and stem occur in another plane, that type of connecting block will not prevent the binding of those elements in their guides. Similarly, if the guides for the rod and the valve stem are substantially parallel but slightly displaced from coaxial alignment, a connecting block of the type shown in Patent 1,881,775 will be efiective toprevent binding only if the misalignment should occur in only two horizontal directions degrees apart.

I have provided a new and improved connecting block, shown in detail in Figures 2 and 3,

which prevents any binding of either the valve stem 28 or valve operating rod 39, or both, as a result of either an angular or a transverse misalignment of their guides or bushings.

Referring to Figure 2, the upper end of the valve stem 28 is threaded into a bottom bearing block 49 and locked therein by a set screw 50 in the bearing block. "The set screw has a conical end which engages a peripheral V notch 5| in the valve stem 28. A locking screw 52 may secure the set screw 58 against loosening. The pointed end of the set screw 50 positively engages the sides of the V notch 5| so that there can be no axial movement of the valve'stem 28 .with respect to the block 49. The upper surface of the block 49 has a circular recess having a smooth planar upper surface 53. A bottomibearing plate 54 is received in said recess and rests :upon the flat surface 53. The plate-54' is circular and has a smaller diameter'tlian the'recess,

so that it may shift freely in a horizontal plane within the circular boundary of the recess. The upper surface of plate 54 may be flat or may have a spherical recess to receive the bottom of the bearing ball 58 in mating engagement.

An inverted, cup-shaped top bearingblock 56 has internal threads adjacent its bottom so that it may be threaded onto the bottom bearing block 49. A set screw 51 threaded through the wall of the block 56 and engaging the threads in thejbody of the block 49, prevents relative movement between the. two blocks after assembly. The'lower end of the valve operating rod 39 has an enlarged spherical bearing ball 58 formed thereon. The horizontal wall of the cup shaped top bearing block 56 has a central opening 59, through which the operating rod 39 extends vertically, and which may also be partly occupied by the upper portion of the spherical bearing ball '58, as shown in Figure 2. The underside 60 of the horizontal Wall of the top bearing block 56 is smoothly finished to engage the top surface of a top bearing ring 6! having an outer diameter small enough to allow free movement in a horizontal plane while engaging said underside 69. The top bearing ring 6| has a central conical bore having a downwardly and outwardly inclined conical wall surface 62, which is smaller in diameter than the largest diameter of the bearing ball '58 so that it will engage the surface of the bearing ball near the top thereof and hold it in engagement against the bottom bearing plate 54.

The dimensions of the top bearing ring 6|, the conical wall surface 62 therein, the diameter of the bearing ball 58, and the distance between the top bearing ring SI and the bottom bearing plate 54, are such that while the bearing ball 58 is confined between the conical wall surface 62 and the bottom bearing plate 54, there is sufficient clearance to permit rotation of the bearing ball without binding, while at the same time preventing any relative axial movement between the valve stem 28 and the valve operating rod 39. The above dimensions and clearances are also such that the top bearing ring 3| can slide transversely within the cup-shaped top bearing block 56, together with the bearing ball 58. This transverse shifting may occur in any direction in a horizontal plane. It will be understood that the ring SI and the bearing ball 58 will shift together in this event, and that the ball 58 may shift transversely with respect to the bottom bearing plate 54 or the plate 54 may shift along the horizontal flat surface 53 in the recess formed in the top of the bottom bearing block 49. It is also apparent that the valve operating rod 39 and the valve stem 28 need not be coaxial but may meet at an angle in any vertical plane by reason of the flexible connection therebetween formed by the assembled connecting block 40. It is preferred that the bottom bearing plate 54, the top bearing ring GI, and the bearing ball 58 be ground and polished.

When the regulating valve is disassembled for inspection or repair, the connecting block 40 is easily disassembled by removing the locking screw 52, the set screw 50, and then unscrewing the valve stem 28 from its connection in the bottom bearing block 49. This will permit the separa- 6 tion of the diaphragm casing l4 from-thevalve casing H by the removal ofthe cap ,screw 13. The connection can be reassembledlby-replacing the stem 28 back into the block, 49, where it will necessarily have to take thesame position as before in order to reinsert the set screw 53.

Axial adjustment Tot-the valve operating rod 39 with respect tofthe diaphragm I15, to assure that the distance between thefl'diaphragm, and the valves 29 and 30, ispropen'is' accomplished by adjustments of the clamping. screws or nuts 63 and 64 on the threaded portion of the operating rod 39, which serve to clamp the upper and lower plates 4| and. 42,together with the diaphragm between them."

I have thus provided'a novel and improved flexible connecting block between 'two substantially coaxial shafts, each of which is guided in its movements by spaced bushings 'or' guides. The two shafts will, not bind in their 'guide because of misalignment therebetween, and axial movement of one will be transmitted directly to ment resulting from operating conditions, and the.

sensitivity of the regulator will always be maintained. The cost of' manufacture of the connecting block is relatively little, and the cost of manufacture of the entire valve is reduced because of the fact that the accurate machining operations formerly required are not now necessary.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A flexible coupling operative to transmit axial movements from a first rod to a second substantially coaxial rod, comprising a pair of spaced opposed planar bearing blocks; a pair of spaced bearing elements engaging the opposing faces of said blocks and freely shiftable with respect thereto; an intermediate member having convex faces engaging the opposed faces of said bearing elements and retaining said elements in engagement with said blocks; one of said blocks havingan opening, and the element in engagement with said last mentioned block having an aligned opening smaller in diameter than said intermediate member, said openings permitting the passage of said first rod connected to said intermediate member, and the other of said bearing blocks being connected to the end of said second rod.

2. In a flexible coupling operative to transmit axial movements from a first rod to a second substantially coaxial rod, a first bearing block adapted to be rigidly connected to the end of one of said rods, a second bearing block rigidly connected to said first block, said blocks presenting a pair of opposed and spaced parallel faces, said second block having a central opening, a ball confined between said parallel faces, a ring between said ball and said second block having an aeoaou outer diameter largerthan said opening and an inner diameter smaller than the diameter of said ball, said ball rigidly connected to the other of said rods protruding through the opening in said second block, and a transversely shiftable bearing plate between said first bearing block and said ball and having a'planar surface engaging said ball, said first bearing block having a recess in its face to receive and limit transverse movement of said plate.

3. In a coupling unit "for flexibly connecting two motion transmitting elements coaxial rigidly connected bearing blocks, one of said blocks being hollow and said blocks having opposed parallel planar surfaces substantially normal to the axis of said blocks, a parti-spherical coupling memher, and means coacting with said surfaces and with said member confining said member substantially wholly within said hollow bearing block for angular movement, about its own axis and for bodily movement diametrically of said bearing blocks.

8 4. The coupling unit as defined in claim 3, wherein said means comprises a pair of plates slidably contacting the respective opposed surfaces of said bearing blocks, one of said plates tangentially contacting the periphery of said coupling member and the other of said plates having an opening through which said member protrudes.

THOMAS H. THORN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

